Friday, October 01, 2004

Douglas honoured for acting, production work in Aspen

Hollywood actor Michael Douglas was honoured Wednesday for his contributions to film, which would have been confined to off-camera work had he listened to those around him early in his career.

``The business was telling me, why act? I was totally acceptable as a producer, but not (as an actor). I quietly resented it,'' Douglas said during an on-stage conversation with Aspen Filmfest host Joel Schumacher.

``People said, why do you want to act? I thought I had something to say,'' he said.

Douglas was given the festival's ``Independent By Nature Award'' for his work as an actor and producer. The ceremony was held at the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, a mountain hamlet in Colorado's Rocky Mountains.

Douglas, 60, initially made his mark in Hollywood behind the scenes, producing films such as ``One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' and ``The China Syndrome.''

Douglas went on to become an Academy Award-winning actor, starring in such films as ``Romancing the Stone,'' ``Wonder Boys'' and ``Fatal Attraction.'' He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in ``Wall Street.''

Aspen Filmfest Executive Director Laura Thielen said it was the versatility of Douglas' work that stood out, saying he has acted in ``every conceivable type of movie, bending and blending genres to reinvent them.''

Highlights from Douglas's career were shown during the event. The award, a silver aspen leaf belt buckle, was crafted by Aspen silversmith Jim Hayes.